Babesiosis is a term that is used to describe a group of diseases of which are caused by a obligate intraerythrocytic tickborne protozoan parasite of the genus Babesia. Babesiosis occurs in humans and domestic and feral animals. It is a significant disease problem in domestic and wild animals in their natural habitat or in confinement. These animals include cattle, dogs, swine, horses, sheep, goats and foxes wherever significant tick vectors occur. The disease is characterized by anemia, fever and hemoglobinemia. In its acute state, the disease can be fatal. The most important economic losses are caused in cattle by B. bovis and B. bigemina which act together or singly in the same group of animals although more than 70 species of Babesia have been recognized. B. rodhani infected mice are recognized as a model for the study of babesiosis infections.
The treatment of babesiosis has been based on the use of chemotherapeutic agents such as phenamidine isethionate, amicarbalide di-isethionate, imidocarb diproprionate, and diminazene aceturate, tetracyclines or a combination of clindamycin and quinine. Vaccines have been prepared from strains of B.bovis and B. bigemina by attenuation through splenectomized calves which have been used to immunize cattle.